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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23161072">Rooftop Chase</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicoyote/pseuds/cosmicoyote'>cosmicoyote</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>When Cats and Mice Play [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Feelings, Rooftop antics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:15:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,580</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23161072</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicoyote/pseuds/cosmicoyote</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat and Multi practice their super-powered acrobatics during a patrol which sparks their competitive natures.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Multimouse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>When Cats and Mice Play [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>221</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rooftop Chase</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You can say this takes place sometime after "Roundhouse Kiss", so that there is less confusion with him accepting Marinette has a miraculous. ♥</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He really shouldn't have challenged her.</p><p>Chat Noir had not been thinking clearly when he challenged Multimouse to a game of rooftop tag, but it had been too tempting to ask. Ladybug did not really appreciate his antics when they were supposed to be focusing on their duty to protect Paris.</p><p>But Multimouse was a different story. He knew who she was behind the mask, and he knew how competitive she could be. Honestly, Ladybug could be the same way, but while Ladybug was serious and yanked him back to the serious parts of their job, Multimouse was willing to cut loose and have some fun.</p><p>If he was being honest, he needed a break from patrolling and could use a good break. Hawk Moth had been running them ragged with akumas for the last few days: multiple akumatizations in one day which floored them both.</p><p>Then things had settled down today, but instead of finding Ladybug swinging around, he had bumped into the not-so-mysterious Multimouse.</p><p>She was running around like he had seen her before, sharpening up on her abilities as a miraculous holder. He had been pleased to find that her balance and grace were much improved, but he still found her quirky behaviors and clumsiness charming.</p><p>Chat stopped to watch her as she spun through the air with the elegance of a dancer. She had her rope out and was twirling it before cracking it down like a whip. He gulped as she swung the rope over her head then struck the air with a loud SNAP!</p><p>He smiled and hurried over, determined to approach her from the front as to not startle her. "Evening, Princess."</p><p>Multimouse smiled at him as she lowered her rope before tying it around her waist. "Good evening, Chat Noir."</p><p>"I see you're out and about," he said, a little awkward. She wasn't being her flustered and nervous self like she was when he was Adrien. It was a bit of a relief, but it also made him somehow feel shyer than normal. "And your form looks much better."</p><p>She blinked then smiled gratefully, her blue eyes alight under her mask. "Thanks! I've been practicing, and I think I have the proper technique down." She bounced a little on her heels with nervous energy. "You and Ladybug have been on your toes the last few days, huh?"</p><p>He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh! Yeah. Hawk Moth is throwing akuma after akuma at us."</p><p>"Sounds like frustration to me," Multimouse murmured. "He usually only does a max of one akuma per day... with a few notable exceptions."</p><p>He knew she meant Hero's Day and the Miracle Queen incident. Those had been utterly terrifying days because the evil miraculous user had been so close to winning. The idea of that man getting a hold of their miraculous was... unthinkable.</p><p>"Not this time," Chat sighed after taking a deep breath. "But it's okay. LB and I can handle it."</p><p>"You look tired," Multimouse said softly, walking closer and looking up into his face. She was close enough that he could make out her freckles under her grey and pink mask. "Maybe you should call it an early night and get some sleep."</p><p>He was exhausted. A couple of the akuma attacks had been in the middle of the night, and his days started early. He had only gotten a few precious hours of rest in between akumatizations. </p><p>Honestly, he would be home right now resting if it weren't the fact his father was in a towering temper and his cold presence had escalated to a mood that was utterly unbearable. There were problems going on with his father's company and, according to him, that's all Adrien needed to know. Even when he had offered to help in any way...</p><p>He had been shut down and sent to his room, to which he had transformed with a promise to Plagg he would get plenty of cheese later that night.</p><p>"I would but... ya know... family stuff."</p><p>Multimouse's eyes softened. "I see." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and his heart lurched. He smiled softly and put a hand over hers. "I'm sorry, Kitty," she murmured, squeezing his shoulder.</p><p>Unable to speak for a moment, he smiled at her and then removed her hand from his shoulder but only so he could press his lips to it.</p><p>She blushed and pulled her hand away. "Hey! Down, flirty kitty." She booped his nose with her finger, and he chuckled. </p><p>"How about we patrol together?" Multimouse offered.</p><p>"Ladybug said you could patrol?" He arched an eyebrow in confusion.</p><p>She nodded and smiled. "We have to alert her if there's an akuma, but otherwise..."</p><p>He smiled. "Alright. How about we play a game to make it more exciting?"</p><p>Multimouse beamed. "Okay! How about..." she tapped her chin, and her thoughtful expression was one he was becoming familiar with. She normally wore that face when she was contemplating a project. Then her eyes widened and sparkled eagerly. "Tag!"</p><p>Chat Noir grinned with teeth and crouched playfully. "Cat and mouse tag it is, Little Mouse."</p><p>She giggled. "So does that make you it first?"</p><p>"You bet!" His belt tail swished behind him, eager for the chase.</p><p>"Then catch me if you can, Kitty cat!" Multimouse spun on her heel and bolted for the roofs across the street. </p><p>Chat grinned and gave her a minute before he leapt after her, not using his baton since she wasn't using her rope. He dropped on all fours and let his inner cat out to chase his mouse friend across the rooftops of Paris.</p><p>Multimouse giggled as she bounded with supernatural agility from building to building. She glanced back from time to time just to make sure her kitty was following her. He didn't know it, but he was chasing his partner. She was there, but she needed to shed the Ladybug identity for just a little while in order to kick back.</p><p>She basically never got to play around with her goofy partner like this. He was a sweet guy and loved to tease her, but they rarely joked around mutually. As Multimouse, she felt more comfortable because he didn't have complicated romantic feelings for Marinette/Multimouse. She could just be herself and mess around.</p><p>"Come on, kitty! You can do better than that!" she called over her shoulder as she made a mad dash across the roofs that made up the Lovure Museum. </p><p>She heard the sound of his footfalls and hurried to veer sideways to throw him off.</p><p>But Chat Noir anticipated her move and tackled her. They rolled across the roof, and she gasped as they nearly toppled off the edge. He threw an arm out and dug his claws into the cement which slowed them down just enough.</p><p>Panting, Multimouse gripped her partner hard then opened her eyes slowly. Bright green irises met hers, and the pupils were dilated with anxiety. Both of them were breathing hard from their antics across the rooftops.</p><p>Multimouse had landed on her back, and it took her a second to realize Chat had cupped the back of her head with a gloved hand to protect it from banging against the roof's rock hard surface. She trembled and reached back to put her hand over his. "Th-Thanks..."</p><p>"No problem." Chat smiled nervously then sat up, his hands dropping to support his weight and laying flat on either side of her. "We got a little crazy at the end..." He glanced nervously at the edge of the building they were pressed against. A few more centimeters, and they would've plummeted off the side.</p><p>She giggled and ruffled his hair, making him smile. "That was fun. You can move pretty fast, but I thought you'd catch me sooner."</p><p>Chat snorted and hopped off her before offering a hand to help her up. "I could outrun you any day, Little Mouse. I was just... letting you get away... for a little while." He looked away as he said that last bit.</p><p>Multimouse frowned deeply as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the cat hero. "Um, what is <em>that</em> supposed to mean?"</p><p>She expected him to clam up and look guilty for teasing her. He did that whenever she was Ladybug. However, apparently, he felt more at ease as his flirty-self with her as Multimouse because his eyes sparkled with mirth.</p><p>"Just that I could outrun you: anytime and anywhere... mouse." He poked one of her hair buns to make a point.</p><p>Her competitive nature rocketed to the surface of her being like a loose canon ball. Her gloved hands clenched into fists, and she knew she had a steely look in her eye she had inherited from her mother.</p><p>"Oh, so <em>that's</em> how it is, Kitty kitty," she grumbled. "Fine." She grinned a feral smile that suited an akuma more than her miraculous-wielding self and crouched like a sprinter. "Is that a challenge?"</p><p>His cocky smile vanished as suddenly as a light bulb blowing. He swallowed. "I... I mean, we don't have to... to test that out tonight." His voice was getting smaller and smaller with each word.</p><p>"No, no." Multimouse stalked towards him, turning the tables to the mouse pursuing the cat. His feet stumbled over one another in his nervousness. "Better start running, Kitty."</p><p>Chat Noir gulped then turned tail and began springing from roof to roof, his tail helping him balance. Multimouse was in hot pursuit and smiled as she chased after him.</p><p>Chat breathed hard as he did his best to outrun the determined mouse. He should've known better than to challenge Marinette's competitive side. He had seen it for himself as Adrien when they played video games together. Ultimate Mecha Strike III was a personal favorite of both of them. Sure, she had seemed nervous and distracted at first, but the moment she slipped up, and he won... The gloves had come off.</p><p>She had <em>obliterated</em> him in the next round.</p><p>So, all in all, he should've kept his mouth shut. Now, Multimouse was chasing after him with renewed determination fueled by her urge to make him eat his words.</p><p>He put up a fight. Multimouse had to give him that. He seemed to have rejuvenated energy with his own goal to outrun her as long as possible. She followed close behind, feeling only slightly guilty about being able to guess his moves based on many nights patrolling and fighting together. He would sometimes dive into an alleyway and then spring up several meters away in a completely different direction. It was a clever move, but she knew him well.</p><p>So the next time he slipped down into a dimly lit alley, she hurried ahead and slightly to the right. The result was her waiting when he reemerged from the darkness. She tackled him around the waist. </p><p>He yelped in surprise as they both went crashing to the rooftop across the way from where she had been standing. They rolled for several meters before stopping with Multimouse pinning him on his stomach and holding his arms down.</p><p>His belt tail lashed, but she put her foot over it, enticing a harrumph from the cat hero. His cat ears were pulled back in irritation.</p><p>"Pinned ya!" Multimouse crowed.</p><p>"If you think you're softening the blow with a Disney reference..." Chat grumbled as he wiggled in a vain attempt to get free. </p><p>She giggled. "Nope. I'm rubbing it in." She ruffled his hair, making the blonde locks even messier.</p><p>He huffed then went limp. "Okay, okay! I get it. Lemme up!"</p><p>Multimouse smirked and hopped off of him. "Maybe you shouldn't challenge me next time, Kitty Cat," she teased.</p><p>Chat stood and blinked at her before smirking. "I let that happen," he said, brushing off his leather suit in an apparently unconcerned fashion.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes, but he was too busy trying to defend his ego. "I started making my moves more predictable to make things easier for-"</p><p>The last of his sentence was cut off by a sharp "OOF!" that escaped him thanks to Multimouse tackling him back to the ground. They rolled around in an attempt to get the upper hand with one another. Multimouse channeled her lessons with Master Fu and some sparring matches she had had with Chat (both as Multimouse and as Ladybug) and remembered his weak points.</p><p>Chat had longer arms and legs which meant he had a wider reach, but he could get cocky at times, and she was scrappier. She also wasn't afraid to play dirty which he was very much against in a spar against her. Which is why when she managed to push his arm out of the way, she buried her fingers under his ribs. A sharp gasp then giggles bubbled up from her partner as he attempted to squirm away from the contact.</p><p>After just a few seconds of this, Chat begs for mercy, and they both roll to lay beside each other, breathing hard.</p><p>Multimouse's smugness could power the entire city of Paris as she sat up and brushed dark locks out of her eyes.</p><p>Chat watched her from the ground, his green eyes lidded as he recovered his breath. "You win," he mumbled, raising his right hand to wave an invisible white flag in surrender.</p><p>"Don't you forget it," Multimouse told him with a smirk, poking his nose then smiling affectionately at him.</p><p>He flushed and sat up. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "That was fun... I needed the break. Thanks, Little Mouse." His eyes twinkled.</p><p>"Anytime, Chat." She bumped his shoulder with hers. </p><p>His cat ears dropped and he hugged his knees, staring thoughtfully at the starry sky above. His mood shift caused her to put her hand on his arm.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>He shrugged. "Ladybug doesn't really play like that. I wish we could." He gave her a sad smile. "We only interact when there's an akuma or a patrol, but she wants us to take our job seriously all the time." He bit his lip then huffed and rested his chin on his arms. "I respect her and trust her, but I also just wish... we could cut loose like you and I just did."</p><p>She swallowed, her stomach twisting with guilt. Her poor partner just wanted some time to goof off, but she had been rigidly sticking to her rules. She partially blamed the fact she was the new Guardian, but she knew she had been stiff and less warm with her best friend.</p><p>"You think it would make things easier?" Multimouse asked. "Ya know... working together?"</p><p>He looked at her, and her heart lurched from the sadness in his eyes. "I really do."</p><p>She smiled and reached behind him to rub his back. He closed his eyes, and a purr sputtered in his throat. He leaned sideways and put his head on her shoulder. "I think you should tell her that, Kitty Cat. She's your partner. I'm sure she'll listen."</p><p>"We'll see." He yawned and snuggled into her side sleepily. "She's pretty set on her rules..."</p><p>That was true, but it still hurt her to know she had been so distant with him lately. She rubbed warm circles in his back as he relaxed into her. </p><p>He napped lightly for a while, and she sat in peaceful silence as she listened to him purr.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Adorable antics! *.*</p><p>Being on a vacation meant I had some time to stop and think about things. I may start another serious alongside this one that is totally different but incorporates more of the love square.</p><p>I still plan on writing plenty of Multichat, though! :D</p><p>Feedback and kudos are always appreciated. Thank you all for the wonderful comments in my previous one-shots! ♥</p></blockquote></div></div>
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